Cloud Computing: Aspirin for Supply Chain Headaches

Common supply chain challenges faced by business today include order processing, fulfilment, and invoicing errors when dealing with customers and suppliers. This leads to unhappy customers and lost sales, manual and duplicate processes, and poor employee morale eventually resulting in high turnover. Cloud computing is the perfect medicine to get rid of these supply chain headaches. Cloud computing breaks down organizational silos and helps businesses collaborate better with their customers by establishing a common decision-making and information capturing framework. With cloud computing, business can shop, check product availability, compare competing offerings, request pricing either directly on their supplier’s order management system or on their own internal purchasing system and electronically integrate with suppliers’ order management systems. Improved supply chain visibility and inventory turns means better operational efficiency. Cloud computing is here and moving to the cloud offers significant financial benefits.

Supply Chain Headaches

The major supply chain headaches addressed by cloud computing

Legacy Quote-To-Cash Process

Distributor Solves Order Processing and Procurement Challenges Using Cloud Computing

Solution

Modern Cloud Technology for an improved, more automated & integrated process benefits
Fewer processing, fulfillment, and invoicing errors
Improved sales = Happy customers
More automated processes
Improved employee morale
Improved visibility into customer demand

New Quote-To-Cash Process Using Cloud

How to deal with part shortages?

Locate inventory on land, air or sea using cloud

Access to Customer, Distributor, Logistics Provider, Freight Forwarder, AND Manufacturer Inventory Information
Cloud ERP Integrated with Supply Chain Partner Inventory Information
Minimize Stocks Outs and Excess Inventory
Optimize Inventory Turns

Upstream and downstream inventory visibility

Lateral inventory visibility

Optimal inventory turns

Integrated shipment tracking

Sea and Air Cargo Tracking Information is Integrated with Distributor’s Cloud ERP
Cargo Latitude and Longitude information
Visual Cargo Location
Distance from Destination
Track Shipments Online in One Place
Online Information available to all the Supply Chain Partners
Reduces Customer Support Requirements
Improves Customer Satisfaction

How to meet the customer demand?

Today, Amazon sells 2.2 million products from 17 categories to businesses

Online industry marketplaces: Connecting buyers and sellers

Will you be able to deliver products as promised?

Spend analysis maturity model

Ready to tackle rush orders?

Better supply chain collaboration made possible with cloud

Seven Steps for Successful Cloud Adoption

Identify Business Challenges and Expected Business Outcome(s)
Nominate a Business Champion and Sponsor
Build Supply Chain Partner Support
Establish a Cross-Functional/Cross-Supply Chain Pilot Team
Evaluate Cloud Options {pay close attention to Data Ownership, Security and Service Level Agreements (SLA)
Implement New Processes and Cloud Technology
Measure Business Performance

Additional benefits of cloud computing